


'Cause This Life Is As Fragile As A Dream

by MsEnglish101



Series: Someday [10]
Category: American Actor RPF, Chris Evans - Fandom, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, F/M, Family Feels, Implied Sexual Content, Major Illness, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-06
Updated: 2016-01-14
Packaged: 2018-05-12 03:31:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5650966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsEnglish101/pseuds/MsEnglish101
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The road to happily ever after has many twists and turns...Chris and Cameron find this out the hard way...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. This Can't Be Happening...

**Author's Note:**

> Happy New Year, all!
> 
> It's time to get really serious...

_Well I knew_  
_What I didn’t want to know_  
_And I saw_  
_Where I didn’t want to go_  
_So I took the path less traveled on_  
_And I'll let my stories be whispered_  
_When I’m gone..._

 _When I’m gone_  
_When I’m gone_  
_When I’m gone_

 _Well in this life you must find something to live for_  
_Cause when the darkness comes a callin'_  
_You'll go back to where you were before_  
_Cause this life is as_  
_Fragile as a dream, and_  
_Nothing’s ever really_  
_As it seems..._

 _As it seems_  
_As it seems_  
_As it seems_

 _Well I lost my innocence when in I let him dive_  
_But the way that he looked at me_  
_Made me feel alive_

 _And now I know_  
_Nothin' at all_  
_But the release that comes when you're_  
_In mid fall..._

 _In mid fall_  
_In mid fall_  
_In mid fall_

 _Cause in this life you must find something to live for_  
_Cause when the darkness comes a callin'_  
_You'll go back to where you were before_  
_Cause this life is as_  
_Fragile as a dream, and_  
_Nothing’s ever really_  
_As it seems..._

 _As it seems_  
_As it seems_  
_As it seems_

As It Seems - Lily Kershaw

 

Chapter One - Wednesday, February 17, 2010 – 7:45 a.m.

 

            Cameron stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror.  There was no need to panic.  Not yet, at least.  This could be nothing, nothing at all.  Maybe it was some sort of hormonal thing.  Yeah, that could well be it, some hormonal change.  She _did_ just finish her period a couple of days ago.  She took a deep breath, held it then let it out slowly.  She had to force herself to relax.  Everything was a big “if” right now.  She couldn’t afford to make herself crazy over something that may, or may not, be happening.  And she certainly couldn’t afford to drag Chris into this, either.  Not when he had so much going on. 

            In a couple of weeks, Chris was heading up to Boston to start filming his first romantic comedy.  And he was going to be brilliant in it, of that she was certain.  Chris had given her the script to read when he’d finished it and wanted her opinion on it.  She thought the female lead’s character was a little over the top but the male lead was an exaggerated version of Chris himself.  He was going to be perfect in this role.  She urged him to take it, thrilled with the idea of finally seeing him exercise his rather impressive gift for comedy.  She was also thrilled that, after much cajoling from her, both of their families, friends, and handlers, and even Iron Man himself, Robert Downey, Jr., Chris finally agreed to take on what was likely to be the role of a lifetime:  Captain America.  He’d had concerns, had been worried about committing himself to the Marvel Cinematic Universe for what could be as much as a decade, but after much talking to, well, _everyone_ , he finally signed a six-movie deal with Marvel.  Filming for _Captain America:  The First Avenger_ was due to start in England in late June.  Needless to say, this was going to be a banner year for Chris, a very well deserved one, and she wasn’t about to throw a wrench into any of that, not if she could help it.

            She stepped away from the mirror and finished drying off from her shower.  Try as she might, she couldn’t stomp down the feelings of worry, dismay, and, if she was totally honest with herself, white hot anger that rioted through her body at that moment.  What the fuck?  Seriously, what the actual fuck?  Her life was just settling into…perfection.  She no longer had to deal with the insanity that came from planning and executing a world tour; she no longer had to worry about the possibility, however remote it may have been, of losing Chris to someone else because he had gotten tired of waiting around for her.  She was free now, to a certain degree.  Of course, she’d only given up touring, not her entire career, so she still had plenty of commitments but now she had the freedom to pick and choose where, when and how she honored those commitments and she was free to fly back and forth to wherever those commitments were and to wherever Chris was.  When she was on a tour, she was tied down to that tour.  She couldn’t come and go as she pleased; hell, there was never any time since her schedule was always so tightly packed.  Now that she’d been away from it for several months, she couldn’t wrap her head around how she’d put up with that shit for so many years.  Jesus, no wonder she was all but completely exhausted when she finally stepped foot off that plane in December and presented herself on Chris Evans’ doorstep.

            And now this…this whatever it was.  This thing she was desperately trying to not make a big deal of…but that would be a big deal if it turned out to be what she thought.  She felt her legs abruptly go out from under her; luckily, she was right next to the padded bench in the bathroom and was able to sink down on it before she hit the floor.  She leaned her head back against the wall and valiantly fought to keep her tears at bay.  She lost that particular fight.  As big, hot tears leaked from her eyes and rolled down her cheeks, she kept asking herself – and the universe at large – why?  Why her?  Why now?  Why?  _Why?_   She clapped a hand across her mouth to stifle the sobs that were now wracking her body.  Chris was in the next room.  Although he’d been sleeping when she crawled out of bed and tiptoed into the bathroom, wanting to get showered, dressed and down to the kitchen to make him breakfast before he awoke, if he was awake now, he’d either hear her crying – she swore he had ears like a fucking bat – or he’d take one look at her face the moment she stepped out of the bathroom and know that something was wrong.  Chris would call her on it immediately.  It was almost scary how highly attuned he was to her.  Maybe it was from all those years of waiting; it made him learn how to really read her.  Well, whatever it was, he was able to do it and do it extremely well.  There were times when she almost didn’t have to speak.  She sighed, sniffled then took a few deep breaths to try to steady her nerves.

            After a few minutes, she made certain that her legs were steady enough to carry her weight and stood up.  She went to the sink on her side of the vanity and turned the cold water on full force.  She splashed her face with the icy water, hoping the shock of cold would stop her tears and make her face look less blotchy.  Not for the first time, she cursed her fair Irish complexion.  She remembered how her father always used to gently tease his daughters about how their crying jags showed on their faces for a half hour or more after the tears had stopped.  She gave a slight smile as she recalled how Chris once told her that even her ugliest cries looked phenomenal on her.  She’d smacked him in the back of the head for that remark, alarmed that he’d been able to tell she’d been crying, even though the tears had stopped almost an hour before.  Damn her Irish complexion.  If Chris was awake when she stepped back into their bedroom, he was going to know she’d been crying.  Shit.  She dried her face, sighed then finished getting dressed.  She set the bathroom back to rights, pulled her still damp hair back into a ponytail then, sending up a quick prayer for strength, slowly opened the door and stepped out into her bedroom.

            Chris was still asleep.  Thank you, Jesus, somebody up there really liked her.  She crept over to the door, pulled it open enough for her to go through it and quietly shut it behind her.  She was glad he was still out cold, not just because she didn’t want him to see she’d been crying, but because she hadn’t yet figured out how to explain to him _why_ she was crying.  As she headed down the stairs of her townhouse, she debated with herself over the wisdom of saying anything to him – or to anyone – at this stage of the game.  When she got to the first floor, she paused a moment, her eyes drifting automatically towards the doorway that led to the kitchen.  She shook her head and headed instead toward the parlor.  Once there, she slid the pocket doors closed and walked over to her desk.  She picked up the handset on the desk phone and punched in a number.

            “Hello, Cameron.  Saw your name on the caller ID.”

            “Good morning, David.  I’m sorry to call so early in the morning but I really needed to speak with you.”

            “Is everything okay?  It’s not often that I receive a call from you on my private line at eight in the morning.  Are you all right?  Has something happened to someone in your family?”

            “The clan is fine, thanks, David, but…” Cameron hesitated, tears threatening again.

            Dr. David Shapiro, the Kennedy family’s longtime personal physician, heard the strain in Cam’s voice but wisely chose to let her take whatever time she needed to speak.  Just her calling at that hour of the morning meant that something was wrong.

            “David, do you have time on your schedule today to see me?”

            “I’ll make time.  Come in whenever you’d like.  Better yet, why don’t you come in at nine-fifteen?  My office doesn’t open until ten and Lauren doesn’t usually get in until nine-forty-five but I’ll call her now and ask her to come early so she can be there with us.  That way, you don’t have to worry about other patients and all that.”

            “Thank you, David.  I’d really appreciate that.  I don’t mean to put you out or anything but…”

            “But nothing.  You’re one of my favorite patients.  Besides, I know how insane your schedule can be so if you need to see me today, I’ll accommodate you in any way I can.”

            “Again, thank you, David.  Would you tell Lauren that I’ll arrange to have a car pick her up at her home at eight-forty-five?  It’s the least I can do considering I’m making her come to work early and all.”

            “That’s very sweet of you, Cameron.  I’m sure she’ll be both happy and grateful for that.”

            “No problem.  I’ll see you in an hour and change.  Oh, David, one more thing?”

            “What’s that, dear?”

            “Could you have your brothers Arthur and Robert be there too?”

            Uh-oh.  “Of course, Cameron.  I’ll call them right after I speak with Lauren.  See you in a little bit.”

            “Thanks, David.  See you soon.”  Cameron ended the call.

            David Shapiro sat back in his chair at the breakfast nook in his kitchen.  His kids, twin daughters in their senior year of high school and two sons, one a freshman in the same school as his girls and the other in his last year of middle school, had already left the house.  His wife, Miriam, came to the table, a fresh pot of coffee in her hand.  As she topped off her husband’s cup, she said, “Cameron, huh?  Must be important if you’re going in early to see her.  Did she say what was bothering her?”  She could see her husband was very concerned about something Cam had said.

            David shook his head.  “No, but it was the last thing she said that really has me worried, Miriam.”

            She sat down opposite her husband and laid her hand on top of his.  “What did she say, hon?”

            David looked into Miriam’s soft blue eyes.  “She asked for Arthur and Robert to be there as well.”  He grimaced.  “That can’t be good, Miri.”

            Miriam gasped softly.  No, that wasn’t good.  David was an internist, one of the best in the business.  Arthur was a highly respected radiologist and Robert was also at the top of his field.  Robert was an oncologist.

 


	2. I Can't Keep This from You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cameron suspects she's ill. What does she say to Chris, the man she loves...and how does she say it? And how will Chris react? Timing's never been a thing with them...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note that this entire story takes place in one very long day...

_I can't keep this from you_   
_I've held it in so long_   
_It's time to tell the truth_   
_Keeping it from you is wrong_

_I can't keep this from you_   
_It's hard to breathe in here_   
_I just seem to act the fool_   
_Every time I feel you near_

_I can't keep this from you_   
_No matter what you say_   
_Anything is better now_   
_Than going through my life this way_

 

I Can’t Keep This From You – Elton John

 

Wednesday, February 17, 2010 – 8:25 a.m.

 

            Nigel Langley watched his boss with a wary – and worried – eye.  She moved around the kitchen, putting together a breakfast fit for a king, at breakneck speed.  She seemed somewhat manic.  But he knew better than to ask her anything.  The only time she acted this way was when something heavy was on her mind.  The last time she behaved like this was in December, when they were at her house in Dublin and Miss Cameron was making her final decision as to how she would declare herself to Mr. Evans.  That ended happily, thank God, but he could sense that whatever was happening today wasn’t in the same vein.  He got the feeling that there wasn’t going to be a happy ending in this scenario.  He sincerely hoped he was wrong.

            Cameron plated the Eggs Benedict, bacon, pancakes, and toast she’d prepared for herself and Chris – Nigel had already eaten breakfast by the time she’d walked into the kitchen – and popped them into the oven to keep them warm.  She turned to ask Nigel to go up and roust Chris out of bed – in his most proper, English butler manner, of course – when she caught sight of the man himself shuffling into the kitchen.  Ah, damn it, Chris was fully dressed already.  She’d hoped that he would eat then head upstairs to shower and dress and she could sneak out and head to Dr. Shapiro’s office, which was located in the Washington Mews, just up the street from NYU’s Washington Square campus and a five-minute walk from her townhouse.  She still hadn’t decided how she was going to tell Chris about any of this or why she felt she needed to see all of the Doctors Shapiro this morning.  He was going to want to know what she was up to when she told him she was going out for a while.

            Chris smiled as he approached the love of his life.  “Baby, I can’t tell you how good it smells in here,” he said as he reached for her and wrapped his arms around her waist.  He sighed contentedly as he felt her arms twine around his shoulders.  “Good morning, sweetheart,” he said softly as he pulled back far enough to place a gentle kiss on her lips.  “I missed you when I woke up and found you gone.”

            “I wanted to make you breakfast, sweetie.”  She gave him a smile but Chris immediately noticed the strain around her eyes and mouth.  “Go ahead and get settled.  I’ll bring you your plate,” she said as she pulled out of his arms and turned towards the wall-mounted ovens.  Chris frowned then turned and saw Nigel watching them quietly.  “Hey, good morning, Nigel.  I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there when I walked in.”

            Nigel gave a small smile.  “Good morning to you, Mr. Evans.  As for not seeing me, I’m not surprised, sir,” the butler said pleasantly.  “I know you only have eyes for the Miss.”

            Chris laughed.  “That’s true but it doesn’t give me an excuse to be rude.”  He stepped over to the breakfast nook and sat down.  He watched as Cameron brought over their plates, Nigel directly behind her with a pot of coffee in one hand and a pitcher of orange juice in the other.  Cameron set Chris’ plate in front of him then settled down next to him on the padded bench of the nook.  Chris looked up at Nigel’s face as the older man poured their coffee and juice.  He could see the butler seemed preoccupied.  In fact, the atmosphere in the kitchen seemed tense and that was really unusual.  Breakfast was always a fun, relaxed time.  While Nigel did most of the cooking overall, Cam and Chris would often make breakfast for each other and the butler and they would all sit around and talk and joke.  The atmosphere today was nothing like that.

            As if he felt the weight of Chris’ stare, Nigel looked up from his task to meet the eyes of the handsome young man who loved Miss Cameron with such unfettered passion and devotion.  Chris gave an almost imperceptible tilt of his head towards the kitchen door.  Nigel understood immediately.  It was obvious that the tension in the kitchen was emanating from Miss Cameron and Mr. Evans wanted to talk to her about it – alone.  The young Mister was very highly attuned to the young Miss and he obviously recognized that she was troubled.  Nigel gave Chris a quick nod as he set down the coffee pot and pitcher of juice.  “If there is nothing else, Miss Cameron, Mr. Evans, I have several chores to attend to.  If you’ll excuse me, please?”

            “Of course, Nigel.  We’ll get the dishes when we’re done,” Cam said with a smile.  Nigel gave them a small bow then turned and walked out.  For a few minutes, there was silence in the kitchen as Chris and Cameron enjoyed their breakfast.  “Did you like the Eggs Benedict, honey?” Cam asked as she reached for her cup of coffee.

            “It was great, babe, as usual.”  Chris took a drink from his orange juice then turned to look at Cameron.  “What’s going on, sweetheart?”

            Cam almost choked on her coffee.  How the _fuck_ did he do that?  She was beginning to think he was psychic.  “I’m…not sure what you’re asking me, sweetie.”

            Chris shook his head.  “I’m calling bullshit on that, babe.  You know exactly what I’m asking you.  Something’s off about you this morning.  I can see it in your face…I can almost feel it coming off you in waves.  What’s going on, Cam?”

            She blew out a frustrated sigh and slid off the bench, grabbing her plate and his and taking them over to the sink.  She rinsed them off and placed them in the dishwasher.  When she turned back towards the breakfast nook, she let out a startled squeak.  Chris was standing right there.  “Working on your ninja skills, damn it?”

            “Sorry, babe, didn’t mean to startle you.”  He stepped forward and put his arms around her.  She tried to hold herself still but she never could resist the warmth of Chris’ arms.  She settled her arms around his waist and buried her face in his broad chest.  “Babe, please.  I thought we could always talk to each other…no secrets.”  He pressed a kiss against the top of her head.  “Cam, talk to me.”

            “Oh, God,” she said with a sigh.  She pulled back in his arms enough to look into his eyes, eyes that right now held so much love and concern for her.  How did she ever think she was going to get away with not saying anything…much less leave the house without telling him where she was going?  Chris wasn’t the macho, overly possessive, “Me Tarzan, You Jane” type of guy, but he was considerate to a fault and even before they started dating casually in 2008, if he had plans of any kind, he would tell her about them.  It wasn’t that he was seeking permission to go out, he just wanted her to know his whereabouts.  To him, it was just common courtesy, particularly since she was the woman he was involved with.  To Cam, it was just another sweet personality trait that endeared him all the more to her.

            “Chris, I made a doctor’s appointment for this morning.  I have to be there in,” she glanced at the wall clock, “twenty minutes.”

            Chris narrowed his eyes.  Cameron wasn’t feeling well?  She hadn’t said anything and she sure didn’t act sick during their marathon love making session last night.  “Doctor’s appointment?  What for?  What’s wrong?”

            She closed her eyes for a moment, only just realizing that she was about to have the most difficult conversation she’d ever had with him in the five years they’d known each other.  She opened her eyes and looked directly into his.  If she was going to tell him, she needed to do it fast, like ripping off a Band-aid, before she lost her nerve entirely.  “Chris, every month, on the fifth day of my period – whether it goes that long or not – I perform a self-exam on my breasts.  It’s a habit that was ingrained in me by my mother and her mother.  When I was little, my nan and two of her sisters were all diagnosed with breast cancer.  Obviously my nan survived it, but she had to have a double mastectomy.  One of her sisters survived as well, after surgery and chemo.  The other sister’s cancer had spread by the time she was diagnosed and she died eight months later.”  She paused as she felt her emotions overwhelm her and her tears gather behind her eyes.  “Today was day five so I performed my exam and…” she trailed off as she watched understanding slowly dawn in Chris’ brilliant blue eyes.

            “Cam, no…” he said hoarsely.

            She nodded slowly.  “I found two lumps in my right breast.  Now, mind you, it could be nothing.  Women get lumps in their breasts all the time; they’re not necessarily always cancerous.  But given my family history…I can’t take anything for granted.  I have to get checked out as quickly as possible.”  She felt a shudder run through Chris’ muscular body.  “Oh, honey, I’m sorry.  I really didn’t want to tell you any of this until I was more certain about what I might be facing.  My internist, Dr. Shapiro, runs his practice with his two brothers.  One is a radiologist, the other is an oncologist.  I’m meeting with all of them this morning…”

            “You mean _we’re_ meeting with all of them this morning.”  Chris sighed and shook his head, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears.  “Honey, why didn’t you wake me the minute you found those lumps?  Why in God’s name did you think you could do this alone?  _How_ did you think I wouldn’t notice that you were carrying something so heavy on your shoulders?  Baby, I’m not trying to dump on you, really, I’m not, but I just don’t understand why you thought you couldn’t share this with me from the very outset.  I’m here for you, Cam, good times, bad times, _all times_.  Don’t you realize that?”

            Chastened, Cameron hung her head as her tears began to flow.  “I’m not sure what I was thinking,” she said, her voice so low that Chris had to strain to hear it.  “I just knew for sure that I didn’t want to worry you.”  She brought her head up to meet his eyes.  “That seems silly now, doesn’t it?  If this turns out to be something, you’re always going to be worried.  I wouldn’t be saving you much in terms of grief, would I?”  She leaned her forehead against Chris’ chest.  “I’m sorry, baby.  You’re right, I should have told you the minute I found those lumps.  You’ve always been there for me, no matter what.  This time, and these circumstances, should not have been any different.”  Now she began to cry in earnest.  “Oh, God, Chris, I’m scared, I’m so, so scared.  When I did my exam last month, I felt a thickness in the same area where the lumps are now but I really didn’t think anything of it.  Dr. Shapiro always told me I had dense breasts.  But for two lumps to appear like that, in the space of a month, is scary.  There is a type of breast cancer that grows very fast; it’s the strain of the disease my late aunt had.  Her cancer metastasized very quickly, that’s why they couldn’t save her.  And that’s why I need to see all three Doctor Shapiros immediately.  The sooner we find out if those lumps are or aren’t cancer, the sooner we can move forward.” She gave a shuddering sigh and pressed herself even closer to Chris, who tightened his arms around her.  “I’m sorry, Chris,” she murmured into his shirt.

            Chris felt her tears soak through his shirt; his own tears dripped onto her hair.  “There’s no need to apologize to me, sweetheart.  If I were in your shoes, I probably would have thought the way you did.  I wouldn’t have wanted to worry you but this isn’t something anyone should carry alone.  We’re each a huge part of the other’s life.  We’re supposed to share everything, good, bad or indifferent.  That’s what couples do.  From this second on, I’m carrying this burden with you.  I’m going to be there with you for everything.”

            Cam shook her head.  “Sweetheart, I can’t tell you what all that means to me.  But, Chris, think about it.  You’ve got so much coming up in the next nine months or so.  There’s no way you can be with me all the time, especially if this turns out to be cancer.  I’ll have to have chemo and surgery and radiation on top of that so we’re talking constant appointments and doctor visits and what not.  You’re going to be working; you simply won’t have the time to be with me for everything.”

            “I won’t do the films, then.”

            She felt her jaw drop.  “No, I didn’t just hear you say that you won’t do those films.  I _did not_ just hear that come out of your mouth.”

            “Cameron, _you_ come first, not my fucking career.  If you need me, I’m going to be there.”

            “And you wonder why I didn’t want to say anything to you this morning.”  She glanced at the wall clock again.  “I’ve gotta go,” she said as she pulled out of his arms and started for the door.

            “Hey, hey, wait a minute!  You’re not just gonna walk away from me.  Cameron!”  He grabbed her arm and turned her around.

            Cameron yanked her arm out of his grasp.  “I refuse to have you blow your career over this, Christopher!” she said through gritted teeth, her voice low but angry.  “You committed to these films and you need to honor those commitments.  You can’t just drop everything because your girlfriend might be sick.  I’m certainly not going to stop you from coming with me to appointments when you’re available but I’m sure as hell going to do everything in my power to keep you from torpedoing your goddamn career because of some misguided sense of duty to me.  Having cancer is going to be bad enough without having to live with the guilt that you’ve ruined your career because of me!”

            “Nothing is going to mean anything to me if you’re not in my life, Cameron!” he shouted at her, frustrated with her attitude – which he hadn’t seen coming – and angry at the universe over the possibility that the woman he loved could be dying.  “Right now, I don’t give a rat’s ass about my career!  What I _do_ give a rat’s ass about is _you!_   How am I supposed to be off playing a character, kissing some actress, chasing after some make-believe bad guy when the person who means everything to me is suffering from some insidious disease that could very well take her from me before her time?”

            Cameron stood stock still and stared at Chris in disbelief.  He’d never raised his voice in anger to her before.  Sure, they’d squabbled in the past for one reason or another but it was never like this, where they were both truly angry.  For once in her life, she didn’t know what to think or what to say.

            Chris fought to calm himself.  He was furious with Cameron but screaming and yelling at her wasn’t going to solve this problem.  He took a deep breath, held it then blew it out very slowly.  “Cameron, sweetheart, I love you, I adore you, you are everything to me.  I _cannot_ lose you.  I _cannot_.  Life won’t be worth living without you by my side.  In my head, loving you means so many things, not the least of which is being responsible for you and taking care of you, especially if you’re ill.  If this is cancer, you’re going to need me and I want to be there for you.”

            For several long moments, the silence between them was deafening.  Cameron continued to stare at Chris, still trying to wrap her head around the fact that he had actually yelled at her.  He, on the other hand, was terrified that he might have just alienated the very person he was trying to help

            Cameron suddenly felt all the fight go out of her.  This was the man she loved, a man who was so devoted to her, he was willing to let his career crash and burn just so he could look after her.  Not for the first time, she thought to herself, _What in God’s name did I do to deserve him?_   “Oh, baby, whether this is cancer or not, I’m always going to need you.  You’ve always been there for me.  You’ve always been someone I could count on,” Cam said softly.  “I love you, I adore you, you are everything to me.  And I’m always going to fight tooth and nail to stay right by your side.  And I’m always going to fight tooth and nail to see you succeed.  You deserve to succeed.”  She paused and swiped at the tears that continued to cascade down her face.  “ _If_ this is cancer, well, we’ll figure it out.  Together.  Because that’s how you and I do things, right?”  She extended her hand towards him.

            Chris fought back a sob as he grabbed Cam’s hand and pulled her into his embrace.  They held each other tightly, happy that their first real fight was over, scared about what might be in the future, and determined to face that future together.  “We’ll figure this out together, Cam.  Because that’s how we do things.”  Chris kissed the side of her head and gave her a hard squeeze.

            “We need to go, babe,” Cam said, her voice muffled by his shoulder.  “We’ve got three very important doctor-type people to see.”

            Chris pulled away from her but kept her hands linked with his.  He nodded once and said, “Let’s do this, sweetheart.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading.


	3. My Port in the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris and Cameron go to the doctor...and it's nothing they really want to hear...

_Tomorrow leave the windows open_   
_As fear grows please hold me in your arms_   
_Won't you help me if you can to shake this anger_   
_I need your gentle hands to keep me calm_

_`Cause I never thought I'd lose_   
_I only thought I'd win_   
_I never dreamed I'd feel_   
_This fire beneath my skin_

The Last Song – Elton John

 

Wednesday, February 17, 2010, 12:30 p.m.

 

            “So, you’re sure?”

            The Shapiro brothers looked at each other briefly then turned their attention back to the deathly pale young musician and her worried boyfriend.

            “Well, Mr. Evans, we’re as sure as we can be without the biopsy,” Robert Shapiro said gently.  “But I’m fairly certain the biopsy will only confirm the conclusion we,” he indicated himself and his brothers, “have already reached.”

            “I have breast cancer.”

            “Yes, my dear, that’s how we’re going to look at it until the biopsy comes in and says differently,” David Shapiro said sadly.  “I’m so sorry, Cameron.  In all the years I’ve known you, I certainly never envisioned myself giving you this news.”

            Cam gave him a sad smile.  “Yeah, neither did I.”  She turned her attention to Robert.  “When will the biopsy results be back?”

            “I put a rush on it,” Robert answered.  “My lab techs will make sure it gets done today.  I should have results early tomorrow afternoon and then we can discuss a definite course of treatment.  I am going to say this, Cameron, the treatment is going to be aggressive.  Based on what I saw on the films and during the ultrasound, one tumor is about two centimeters long and the other is almost three point five centimeters and it appears it has begun to spread to a few of the lymph nodes.  This means you’re already in Stage 2B.  It won’t be long before you enter Stage 3 and that’s what we want to avoid at all costs.”

            Cameron shook her head.  “I don’t understand it.  I do my exam every month without fail.  If those tumors are that big, how did I not feel them before today?”

            “David gave me your patient file to look over while we waited for you to arrive this morning and I noticed that he mentioned you have fairly dense breasts.  It is not uncommon for women with dense breasts to miss any small masses or tumors in their early stages,” Robert explained.  “It’s because you do your exams so diligently that you did find them and acted upon it immediately.  We’re going to start you on chemo right away in order to stop the cancer from spreading as well as to shrink the tumors.  When it’s time for the surgery to remove the tumors, we might wind up with a good chance of saving your breast.”

            Chris perked up a bit.  That sounded like good news.  “She won’t have to have a mastectomy?”

            David shook his head.  “If the tumors have shrunk enough, and the cancer hasn’t spread to too many lymph nodes, Robert can do what is called a lumpectomy, where just the tumors and the affected nodes are removed, thus saving the breast.  If the breast is left a bit misshapen, that can be corrected with a bit of reconstructive surgery.  We know an excellent plastic surgeon who can do that for you.”

            “From what I could see on the films,” Arthur put in, “just a few of the nodes look affected.  But if we don’t start you on chemo as soon as possible, it could spread into more nodes and put you in Stage 3.”

            “How soon?  For the chemo, I mean?” Cam asked softly.

            “The biopsy will determine a bunch of things, my dear,” Robert replied, “but I think starting you on chemo next week would be the safest way to go.  Once I see the results, I’ll know what kind of drugs we should put you on.  I want to see you here tomorrow at four p.m.  I’ll have already read the results and put together a list of the drugs we’ll need and their possible side effects.  I’ll be able to tell you definitively when we’ll start you on chemo and how best to administer it.  Can you make that appointment time, Cam?”

            Chris answered for her.  “We’ll be here, Dr. Shapiro, no worries.”

            David smiled at Cameron.  “I had always hoped you’d wind up with a good man who would do right by you, kiddo, because you’re very special, in very many ways.” His smile widened into a grin as he nodded towards Chris.  “I think you have that good man right there next to you.”

            Cam squeezed Chris’ hand and told David, “He’s the best, that’s for sure.”

            “We’re all happy for you, Cam,” Arthur said with a wink.

            “And we’ll be even happier when we beat this thing,” Robert said.  “It’s never a good thing to tell a woman she has breast cancer, but it’s particularly painful to tell a young woman of twenty-four that she has it and that there is always a possibility of losing one breast or, worse case scenario, both.  I think I should warn you now, Cam, since you developed it so young, you’re pretty much going to have to be super diligent for the rest of your life.  It could reoccur.  It happens.”

            Cam nodded.  “I’m aware of it.  My nan and her sister were always super careful.  They still are.  Thank God, neither of them suffered any reoccurrences.”

            “That’s good,” Arthur said.  “Could be an excellent omen for you.”

            She smiled.  “I’d like to think that, yes.”

            “Well,” Robert said, “I’d like you two to go home and put together a list of any and all questions you may have about the chemo, the side effects, the procedures, anything you can think of.  We’ve made sure we have no other appointments besides yours tomorrow afternoon so we’ll all be here at your disposal.  Ask us anything, anything at all.  There is no such thing as a stupid question when it comes to your medical care.”

            “Thank you, Robert, Arthur, David.  I know I’ve got the best team possible watching my back.” Cam rose from her seat to exchange hugs with the doctors she’d known for most of her life.  Chris shook hands with the three men then helped Cam with her coat.

            “Don’t forget to take the Tylenol I gave you every six hours for the rest of today, Cam, so you won’t feel discomfort from the biopsy,” David said as the couple prepared to leave.  “And no heavy lifting…other than a burger with everything.”  He winked at her.

            Cam laughed.  “That’s kinda scary, David.  I was just about to ask Chris to take me to our favorite diner so I could have just that.”

            “How long have I known you, kiddo?” David asked with a chuckle.

            “Too long, apparently,” Cam answered with a grin.  “We’ll see you guys tomorrow.”  Chris said his goodbyes then, hand in hand, they left the office.

            The Shapiros watched them go.  “She didn’t cry,” Arthur said softly.  “The whole time she was here, she didn’t cry, not even during the biopsy.  That’s kind of worrisome, don’t you think?”

            “I’m pretty sure she cried before she got here.  Cam’s always been one to put on the brave face.  I’m willing to bet Chris is going to have his hands full later on when the reality of what we told her really hits,” David said.

            “I’ve seen that type of reaction before.  We just saw the calm before the storm,” Robert put in.  “David’s right; Chris is going to have a lot to deal with later when the shock has worn off and Cam realizes that her worse nightmare has just come true.”

 

            “You really want to go to the diner?”

            “I’m hungry, _a ghra_.  I want you to feed me.”

            “I, uh, I kind of figured you’d want to go to your parents’ house and, you know, let them know what’s going on.”

            Cameron turned eerily calm gray eyes to Chris.  “I do want to go to Mam and Da’s place and talk to them.  The sooner they know, the better.  But I couldn’t possibly face them on an empty stomach.  Trust me, _mo ghra_ , I may sound like a loon to you right now, but I know what I’m doing.  Humor me, sweetie.  I have a feeling that in the very near future, you’re actually going to be begging me to eat something.”

            “Sweetheart,” Chris said as he put his arms around her, “I always trust you and you’re probably right about the begging you to eat thing.  It’s just that this…” he heaved a deep sigh, “…this is…weird.”

            Cam snorted softly.  “There’s a word.” 

            They stood there, just outside of Dr. Shapiro’s townhouse, holding one another for a few long moments.  Chris pressed a kiss against the top of Cam’s head and let her go.  He looked up at the Shapiro house then turned in a slow circle to survey the rest of the nineteenth century stables turned townhouses in the Washington Mews.  “These buildings are really nice, babe.  When you were looking for a townhouse, wasn’t there anything available here?”

            Cam did a turn of her own.  “Except for David’s, all these buildings are owned by New York University.  David’s ownership pre-dated the University’s purchase of these properties.  Since the Shapiro brothers all work out of NYU Medical Center, the school didn’t bug him about selling to them.  So, it turned out to be a win-win situation for all involved.  Besides, I am deeply in love with my 1845 townhouse, thank you very much.  When I saw the house on West 9th Street, with that little carriage house in back that was converted into a library – a library, Chris! – and had enough rooms for me to put up various and sundry relatives when they came in from Ireland, _and_ had space that I could turn into a music room, well, I had to have it.  I mean, come on, a huge mid-nineteenth century townhouse in the middle of Greenwich Village?  How could I resist?”  She smiled.  “That puppy’s never leaving the family.  I plan to leave it to my kids and their kids and their kids’ kids.  Houses like that do _not_ pop up on the market every week, at least not here in New York.”  She gave her Boston boy a playful smirk, knowing full well that he was going to have something to say about _that_ plan.

            Right on cue, Chris put his hands up and said, “Whoa, whoa, hold on a minute.  You’re planning to have _my_ kids live here in New York full-time?  What about Boston?  How about if I want _my_ kids to live there?”

            Cameron arched an eyebrow at Chris as he placed his hands on her hips and pulled her against him.  She wrapped her arms around his slim waist as she contemplated her response.  “Well, I have two things to say about that, Mr. Evans.  One, I’m not currently in the market for a baby daddy but when I am, you’ll certainly be the first to know.”  She grinned as he let out an indignant grunt.  “Two, I don’t own a house in Boston…yet.”  Chris gave what Cameron could only think of as the cutest double take she’d ever seen.

            “What does that mean, ‘yet’?” he asked suspiciously.

            “That rom-com you’re about to film…what’s it called again?”

            “ _What’s Your Number?”_

            “Right, right, _What’s Your Number?_   It’s gonna film entirely in Boston, correct?”  He nodded.  “Well,” she continued nonchalantly, “when you first told me that, I got in touch with my cousin Shannon, who happens to be a realtor, and I asked her to make some inquiries about a townhouse in or around Beacon Hill.  Figured that, at the very least, I could rent us a place to live in while you worked on the movie and then, if you really liked it, I would buy it…it would have been an early birthday present for you but that cat’s out of the…” she couldn’t finish because Chris’ lips got in the way.  God, could this man kiss.

            A few lovely minutes later, Cameron remembered where they were and pulled away from him.  “Babe, Washington Mews may be a private street,” she said breathlessly, “but we _are_ still out in the open.”

            “When were you gonna tell me about the Beacon Hill thing?”

            “When we got to Boston, dude.  It was supposed to be a surprise.”  Cameron narrowed her eyes when she saw tears well up in his.  “Please do not cry, Christopher.  It’s not that big a deal.”

            He leaned down and gave her a smacking kiss on the lips.  “Maybe not to you, money bags, but I’ve never had anyone even think of buying a house for me.  And Beacon Hill?  Do you have any idea how expensive…?

            “Trust me, I know.  Shannon’s already put me in touch with a Boston realtor and I’ve seen pictures of a couple of places I like _and_ yes, Beacon Hill ain’t cheap.  But the properties are gorgeous, I like that area…and I like you even more.  I think _our_ kids will enjoy living there too.”  Cameron found herself trapped in an enormous bear hug.  She laughed then croaked out, “Sweetie, I really don’t think you know your own strength.  Ease up, would you?  The area around the biopsy is pretty tender.”  And just like that, the joy of the moment was gone.  Chris stifled a sad sigh and loosened his grip a little.  Cameron leaned back in his arms and looked up at him.  The sadness on his face and in his eyes was almost too much to bear.  She wished she hadn’t mentioned the biopsy.

            Hoping to cheer him up a bit, she latched on to a different topic.  “I guess I’ll have to sit down with my calendar tomorrow after we meet with the Shapiros and try to figure out how often I can come up to Boston to be with you while you film _What’s Your Number?_   That shouldn’t be too bad since it’s a really short commute by train and an even shorter one by plane.  Also, I’ll have to see what he says about traveling overseas so I can plan for trips to England while you film _Captain America_ …”

            “Wait a minute,” Chris interrupted, “what do you mean ‘how often I can come up to Boston’ and what’s this about ‘planning’ trips to England’?  Babe, you’re going with me to Boston and London.  I’m not leaving you here in New York, no way.  I thought we had this all worked out.  I mean, that was one of the reasons you retired from touring, right?  So you could travel with me?”

            “Yeah, but honey, that was before today. You heard Dr. Rob.  I have Stage 2B breast cancer and they want to attack it aggressively.  That probably means I’ll have to have chemo sessions a few times a week.  How can I travel?”

            Chris shook his head.  “I don’t have the answer to that right this minute, but it is definitely something we need to discuss with them tomorrow.  I can’t leave you here, babe.  I’ll be worried sick about you all the time.  We won’t be there for each other in times of need.  I don’t think either of us could handle that or the distance there’ll be between us.  There has to be some way your care can be coordinated among doctors here in New York, in Boston, and in London.  And we’ll get you a private duty nurse to look after you.  There’s gotta be a work-around and we’re going to find it.”

            Cameron truly admired Chris’ determination.  If there was an answer to this problem, he was certainly going to find it.  Along with his empathy and compassion, his determination and his loyalty to the people he loved were among the things she loved most about him.  “That’s a lot to think about and a hell of a lot of coordination, Chris.  _But,_ if I could help plan world tours, then I can certainly plan this.  I’m sure we’ll find a solution to all this, _a ghra_.  Now come on, let’s go get me fed.  I’m – hell, _we’re_ going to need our strength if we’re going to deal with the Kennedys and the DiLorenzos and the Josh later today.”

            Chris looked into the eyes of the woman he loved more than life itself, a woman who at the tender age of twenty-four was one of the smartest, most talented people on the planet, a woman who had seen and done more than most people twice her age.  Here was a much-too-young woman who had just been diagnosed with a life-threatening illness and yet was as calm, cool, and collected as the next person.  Oh, he knew this was just the calm before the storm.  She’d cried this morning when the possibility still existed that those lumps in her breast were just benign cysts and not cancerous tumors.  But now that the worse was all but written in stone, it hadn’t really hit her yet…but it would.  Whether it happened at her parents’ house when she told her family and Josh and Gia that she was ill or later that night when they were back home and sitting up in bed remained to be seen but he knew it was going to happen, as certainly as he knew his own name.  Regardless of where it happened, he would be there for her.  He would catch her when she fell; he’d be the rock she needed to hold on to when the storm broke around her.  He promised to take care of her and he was going to do just that.  He leaned down and brushed a gentle kiss across her lips.  “You are the most amazing woman on the face of this planet, Cameron Kennedy, and I love you more than I can say.”  He kissed her again.

            “I love you, too, Chris.  You’ll always be my port in the storm.”  She hugged him close as he laid his cheek against the top of her head.  Chris knew that with that simple declaration, she just acknowledged that she knew the storm was coming.  Man, it was going to be a rough night.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anything medically related in this chapter is pretty accurate. I did my research, not because of this story but because I had a cancer scare this past summer. I found a lump in my breast which, thank the universe, turned out to be a benign tumor, but the two weeks between finding that lump and getting the results back from the biopsy were the longest of my life. If you're 18 and over, start doing those monthly exams. Better safe than sorry and you just may save your own life one day...


	4. There's Something I Have to Tell You...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris and Cameron break the news to both of their families...

_Nothing's better than family,_  
_For the ones who love you so_  
_Be a shoulder to cry on when you’re in need_  
_They'll never leave you alone, no_

 _Just remember that family comes first_  
_where you gonna run to? when no one is around_  
_Do you think out there they'll love you._  
_When your face is on the ground?_  
_When you feel your strength is almost gone_  
_And your arms are getting weak_  
_And you don't think you'll keep holding on_  
_We'll help you stand tall on your feet (just remember)_  
_Family comes first_

 

Family First – Whitney Houston

 

Wednesday, February 17, 2010, 5:00 p.m.

 

            “Josh and Gia said they were coming, right?”  Chris pulled out his wallet and paid the cabbie while Cameron pulled out her phone and read the latest text from Josh.

 

 _From Groban:_               This is all sounding very mysterious, CK.  Is everything okay?

 _From CEKennedy:_ Just show up at my folks’ house and you’ll find out along with the rest of them, okay?

 _From Groban:_               I’m already in a cab on the way there.  See you in a few.

 _From Groban:_               Evans better not have knocked you up already.

 _From CEKennedy:_         Jesus H. Christ, Groban, mind in the gutter much?

 _From Groban:_               LOL!  Love you, too, CK.

 

            “Josh is on his way.  Says he’ll be here in a few,” she tossed over her shoulder as she slid out of the cab.  She turned as Chris got out behind her.  “Gia may be awhile since she’s got to pack up all the various and sundry shit that goes with lugging around a six-month old baby.  Dom was home so he said he’d come with her.”

            “Well, it will be nice to see baby Gio, at least,” he said as he placed his hand on the small of her back and ushered her towards the steps of her parents’ Upper West Side brownstone.  She could feel the slight tremor in his hand.  She stopped and turned to look at him.  Poor baby, he suddenly looked far older than his twenty-eight years.  This ordeal was going to be as hard on him as it was going to be on her.  Chris just _felt_ things so deeply.  They were totally going to need to lean on both their families for however long her battle with cancer took.  She pulled off her glove, raised her hand and lovingly caressed his cheek.  “You forgot to shave this morning, _a ghra_ ,” she remarked quietly.

            He shrugged and rubbed his cheek against her soft hand with its slightly calloused fingertips developed during all those years of playing violin, piano, guitar, and any number of other instruments.  “I kinda didn’t expect to leave the house as early as we did, babe.”

            Cam nodded.  “Yeah,” she said softly, “I would imagine you didn’t see that coming at all.”  Chris opened his arms and she stepped into his warm embrace.  As had become her habit, she burrowed her face into his chest as she wrapped her arms tightly around his small waist.  She could feel his heart beating almost double time.  He was just as freaked out by what they were about to do as she was.  “Oh God, Chris, this is going to be so, so hard.  My mother is going to blame herself for this, I know she is, however illogical that is.  My parents are going to be devastated.”

            “I know, so are mine.  They both love you like one of their own, Cam,” he whispered against her forehead.  “But I’ll be right there with you.  I’ll help you get through this.”  They stood that way for a few moments then pulled apart and turned when they heard a car come to a stop at the curb.  Josh Groban emerged from a yellow cab and stepped up to greet them.  He pulled Cam into a big hug and planted a kiss on her lips.  He released her then shared a hug with Chris.

            “You guys do realize it’s freakin’ freezing out here, don’t you?” Josh said with a grin.  “Then again, the way you two were wrapped around each other, I guess you weren’t feeling the cold very much, huh?”

            Cam wrinkled her nose at Josh but said nothing, leaving him bewildered.  She always had a snappy comeback for him.  Instead, she turned back to the steps of her parents’ house, squared her shoulders and started forward.  Josh watched her curiously then looked at Chris.  “What the hell?  That’s totally not like her.”  He looked back at Cam then returned his confused gaze to Chris.  “She doesn’t seem right, Chris,” he said softly, “what’s wrong?”

            Chris shook his head at the man he’d come to think of as a brother and said, just as softly, “It’s a long story, buddy.  We’re just waiting for Gia and Dom to arrive and then we’ll clear up the mystery.”  He clapped Josh on the shoulder then turned to follow Cameron up the steps.  Josh, more confused than ever, watched as Chris caught up to Cameron and slipped his arm around her waist while pressing a kiss against her temple.  Something really wasn’t right here and it made Josh very nervous.  He went up the steps behind them.

            Cameron had barely gotten her keys out of her pocket when her little brother Lucas threw open the door and shouted “Cameron!” as he launched himself into her arms.  She staggered under the force of his greeting, wincing at the unexpected jarring of the biopsy site, but she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him on his ear, something that never failed to make him both squirm and laugh at the same time.  “Hello, my love,” she said, desperately trying to keep her emotions in check.  “Unhand me now, Thing Two, and greet your brothers.”  She pulled out of his exuberant embrace and passed him off to Chris, who got a bear hug of his own.  She stepped into the house as Lucas let go of Chris and threw himself at Josh.  The Kennedys were a demonstrative bunch but Lucas truly had a corner on that particular market.  She wondered how hard her sweet, loving little brother, her Thing Two (Jeremy being Thing One) would take the news of her cancer?  She shuddered just thinking about it and felt Chris’ hand caress her hair.  She calmed almost immediately.  Chris was so good at steadying her nerves.  Dear God, would she be able to steady his during the worst of this situation?

            “I thought I heard the cry of the wild Lucas,” her younger sister Elizabeth said as she came down the front hall to greet them.  “Hi, Cam, give me some love.”  The sisters shared a warm embrace.  “I see you brought the two handsomest men on the planet with you.  Sorry, sister dear, but you are now superfluous,” Elizabeth said with a grin as she stepped into Chris’ arms.

            “That’s charming, Elizabeth,” Cameron drawled, her usually dormant Irish brogue making an appearance.  As usual, the minute she got around her family, all of whom maintained their accents, her brogue returned with a vengeance, much to Chris’ supreme delight.  He loved it when Cameron became his “sweet Irish rose.”

            “Can I help it if you have wildly good taste in men, and I have the good sense to appreciate that taste?” Elizabeth retorted over Josh’s shoulder as she gave him a big hug.

            Cameron rolled her eyes as Chris and Josh laughed.  “Where are Mam and Da?  And the other two, for that matter?” she asked.

            “Where d’ya think?” Elizabeth answered as she took everyone’s coats.

            “The kitchen, naturally,” Josh said with a grin.  “Everyone always congregates in the kitchen, every time.  Why is that, I wonder?”

            “Because that’s where the food is!” Lucas said with a wide grin.

            “You would know, Thing Two.  God bless that prodigious appetite of yours,” Cam said as she led the way towards the back of the house.

            “Good Lord, Isabella, sounds like a herd of buffalo have invaded our home!” Liam Kennedy exclaimed as he heard the rumble of boots on the hallway floor.

            “That’s music to my ears, Liam.  It means my children are coming home to roost…for a little while, at least.”  The joyful, noisy sounds of family coming together were the only things heard in the kitchen for the next few minutes.  Even though they lived in the same city, the family didn’t always have the chance to see each other as often as they liked.  Cameron always had something going on; the twins, Jeremy and Elizabeth, were attending Julliard as well as being involved in their own band, which often jammed with Cameron; and the youngest siblings, Lucas and Katherine, were in high school and had many afterschool activities of their own.  Liam saw Cameron more regularly because he managed her career and she tried to call Isabella at least three or four times a week.  However, because he and Cam had been friends for so long, Josh was completely comfortable with stopping by to see the Kennedys without Cameron in tow and did so fairly regularly, particularly when he found himself missing his own parents now that he lived in New York full-time while his folks stayed out in Los Angeles.  In fact, he sometimes saw Cam’s family more than she did.  Josh toured far less frequently than Cameron used to.

            Once everyone was settled, Isabella offered the newcomers drinks, telling them as she poured to save room since they would be having baked ham, poached salmon, and rice pilaf for dinner.  Josh was ecstatic, loving Isabella’s cooking almost as much as he loved Cameron’s, but Chris and Cam each wondered if anyone would have much of an appetite after hearing her news.  They looked at each other and silently came to the same conclusion:  the news would wait until after dinner.  No sense in ruining the meal Isabella was putting together for the family.  "So, darlin’,” Isabella said to Cameron as she served Josh the orange juice he requested, “what’s going on that you insisted the whole family be here?”

            “If you don’t mind, Mam, I’d just as soon wait until after dinner.  Besides, Gia, Dom, and the baby aren’t even here yet.”

            Isabella and Liam shared a look then watched as Cameron leaned tiredly against Chris’ arm as they sat at the kitchen counter.  Their girl was all smiles a moment ago and now she looked like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders.  Something was very wrong here.   The suspense was killing her, but Isabella respected Cameron’s request and said nothing further.

            The Kennedys, Chris and Josh enjoyed their time together as they waited for Gia and her family to arrive.  Isabella continued cooking with Liam’s help while Elizabeth and Jeremy played their latest musical compositions on their guitars as Lucas and Katherine showed Cam, Chris, and Josh their latest school projects.  Lucas, as always, roped Cameron into helping him with an essay he’d been working on that just wouldn’t come out right.  He loved picking his sister’s brains for his essays; it was like having a living, breathing Wikipedia sitting right next to him.  Cameron was always amazed that the boy completely disregarded his own high IQ in favor of abusing hers.  “Did you read the assigned materials, Loopy Lucas?” came the standard question.

            “Well, naturally,” came the standard reply.

            “Don’t ever become a lawyer, Thing Two, you’re a terrible wee liar.  You’ll give away every case.  Don’t ever play poker, too, come to that.”

            “Well, that’s rude, big sister.  And I don’t know how to play poker.”

            “Ah, don’t listen to her, Luke,” Chris said with a smirk that was just a touch evil.  “Josh and I would be happy to teach you how to play poker.”  He surreptitiously nudged Josh with his elbow.

            “Yeah, Lucas, Chris and I would love to teach you.”

            Cameron, who’d caught the interplay between Chris and Josh, looked at Lucas and said, “Luke, I’d think twice before taking them up on their offer.  But if you do, make sure you _never_ play for money.  Play for food,” she added with a grin, “you’ll be highly motivated to win every time!”

            “I’m not entirely sure, but I think that may have been rude, too, Cameron.  Hey!” he exclaimed as Cam drew a red line through one of his paragraphs.  “That was the best part of my essay!”

            “After all these years of bleedin’ my intellect dry, lad, ye’ve the nerve to say that atrocity against the English language was your best paragraph?  Jay-sus, boy, have you retained nothing of what I’ve taught you?”

            Lucas’ face was the picture of innocence but his bright gray eyes held a sly look.  “Then make it better, Dr. Kennedy.”

            “My arse is going to make it better, boyo,” Cam retorted.

            “Language, Cameron,” Isabella chastised mildly.

            “Sorry, Mam.”  She pinned her youngest brother with a look that could melt steel.  “Rewrite that, right now.  Put some real effort into it or I’ll just keep redlining it until you get it right.  You have the gift of prose, Lucas, try putting it to work.”  Lucas blushed at his sister’s words but he took his essay and settled into a seat at the breakfast nook and got to work.  Cam was confident he’d get it right this time.

            “Wow.  You’re tough,” Chris said with a grin.  “Your students at NYU and Julliard must love you.”

            “They do, actually,” Cam said airily as she swiped a handful of the croutons Liam was about to add to a salad he was making.  “My classes are usually among the first to fill up whenever I’m on the schedule.”

            “That’s because the male students just want to sit and stare at your legs and your as…I mean, your other assets,” Josh stammered, grinning sheepishly at Liam and Chris when both men turned to him with raised eyebrows.  “Hey, she may be my sister but I’m neither blind nor dead.”  Liam, Chris and Isabella burst out laughing while Cameron gave Josh the side-eye then continued admiring Katherine’s latest fashion sketches.  Littlest sister loved to design dresses; on more than one occasion, Cameron had taken Kate’s sketches to her dressmaker to have them made.  Cameron believed in her sister’s talent so much that she’d promised Kate she would bankroll her first fashion line so long as Kate finished college.  Tuition wasn’t ever going to be a problem; Cameron had been paying tuition for each of her siblings since they started high school.  Liam had only had to put them through grade school.

            The doorbell rang.  “I’ll get that, Mam,” Jeremy said and headed down the hall.  Moments later, Gia, Dominic, and a still bundled up baby Gio entered the kitchen, trailed by Jeremy, who was lugging Gio’s portable playpen.  Cameron immediately jumped off her stool and swooped in to relieve Gia of her precious bundle.  She gave both Gia and Dom a quick, noisy kiss then brought Gio over to the counter to start peeling off the layers the baby was swaddled in.  Chris followed on Cameron’s heels, giving big hugs to the couple who had chosen him to become their son’s godfather then hurrying back to the counter so he could help Cam find little Gio under all those clothes.  After several minutes and much tugging and pulling from both Cameron and Chris, they finally unearthed the gorgeous little man with the big brown eyes and soft, curly brown hair who looked just like his mama.  Cameron picked him up and cradled him in her arms for a long moment, her hold on her emotions becoming very tenuous.  She whispered soft nothings into his little ear then smiled as the baby snuggled further down into her arms.  Chris smiled as he watched his love with their future godchild.  Cam was a natural with kids; he couldn’t wait to see her holding their own baby one day.  She kissed Gio’s forehead then handed him over to Chris.  As she passed him the baby, Chris could see the tears welling in her eyes.  He leaned into her.  “Babe,” he said softly, “hold on, okay?  It won’t be much longer now.  You can say your piece and not have to worry about holding back your emotions.  Everyone in this room is family.  I’m here for you and so are they.”

            She took a deep breath and slowly let it out as she nodded her agreement.  She pressed a soft kiss to Gio’s forehead then hopped back up on her stool and watched as Chris cuddled the baby and softly hummed the melody to “Return to Pooh Corner,” a song Chris once told her his mother used to sing to him and which she promptly added to her concert set list, much to Chris’ surprise and Lisa’s absolute delight.  Cam loved watching Chris interact with kids.  They gravitated to him like magnets to steel and he really loved letting his own inner kid out to play.  But he was especially wonderful with Gio.  She felt the tears well up in her eyes yet again.  Given what she knew about the side effects of some chemotherapy drugs, would she be able to one day give him the children he so badly wanted?  Oh, dear God.  At that moment, she could no longer bear watching Chris with their godson.  She touched his shoulder and quietly said, “Give him back to his mama, _a ghra._   I’m sorry.  I’m just having a hard time right now, watching you with him.  Too emotional.”  Chris nodded in understanding and took Gio back to his parents.  As they watched the exchange between their daughter and future son-in-law, Isabella and Liam both saw the tears in Cam’s eyes and felt fear constrict their hearts.  Something was definitely very wrong with their girl.

            Chris came back to Cameron and slipped his arm around her shoulders.  She wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned into him.  He gave her a squeeze and whispered, “I’m right here, sweetheart.  My strength is yours.  You can do this.  You can be strong.”  With his free hand, he reached up and cupped her cheek.  He leaned down and kissed her gently.  The family was used to Chris and Cam’s PDA but there was something different about their interactions tonight.  Cameron was fairly vibrating with some sort of pent-up emotion, and Chris was being exceptionally gentle with her.  They all sensed that something was very wrong but they knew Cameron.  She wouldn’t say anything until she was good and ready and it appeared she wasn’t going to be ready to talk until after dinner, at the earliest.

            “Right then,” Isabella said, breaking the pall that had settled over her family.  “Jeremy, Elizabeth, would you kindly set the dining room table?  Dominic, I hope you remembered that we have the high chair Chris and Cameron bought for Gio and didn’t bring your portable one.”

            “I remembered, Bella,” Dom said with a grin.  “I’ll go set it up.”

            “Lucas, Katherine, please pack up your school books and take them upstairs.  Wash your hands while you’re up there.  Joshua, would you take Gio for a bit while Gia gets his baby food and his bottle ready?  There’s a lad.”  Isabella watched as Josh took the baby from Gia, who then rummaged through her diaper bag in search of Gio’s dinner.

            “I’ve always said you had to have been a general in another life, my love,” Liam said to Isabella as he dropped a kiss on her cheek.  “Look at how the children obey your orders without hesitation.  ‘Tis a sight to see!”  Isabella grinned and rolled her eyes.  She and Liam had been married twenty-seven years and he’d been saying that exact same thing for the past twenty.  Still, it never got old.  She leaned into him briefly then gave him a quick peck on the lips.  “ _Mo ghra_ ,” she said to her husband, “would you take the salad out to the table?  Jeremy and Elizabeth should be close to finished setting it.”

            “By your leave, my love,” Liam said as he hefted the salad bowl in one hand and grabbed the serving utensils with the other.  He winked at his daughter and his future son-in-law as he walked past.  “Christopher,” he said jovially, “watch and learn.  Cameron is a clone of her mother.  Expect to be doing this yourself a few years down the road.”

            “I look forward to it, Da,” Chris said with a smile.  He, Josh and Gia often called Isabella and Liam Mam and Da just as their own children did.

            Isabella stood still for a moment, still watching her eldest as she sat within the circle of Chris’ arms.  Try as she might, she could no longer hold back.  “Cameron, love, is everything all right with you?”  She watched as Cam’s back stiffened ever so slightly at the question.  The gray eyes that were identical to Liam’s looked over to meet Isabella’s green ones.  There was such pain and sadness in Cameron’s eyes that Isabella had to look away for a moment.  Whatever was troubling Cameron was huge.  She looked back at her daughter.  “My girl…?”

            “Please, Mam, after dinner.”

            Knowing that Cameron was as stubborn as the day was long, Isabella simply nodded and let sleeping dogs lie for however long it took for Cameron to speak her piece.

 

            “Dinner was wonderful, Mam,” Gia said as she rocked baby Gio in her arms.  The entire family had moved into the living room for coffee and some of Isabella’s excellent angel food cake.  Gia’s sentiment was echoed by everyone else and Isabella smiled her thanks to them all. 

            As conversation flowed around them, Chris and Cam, who were occupying one of the loveseats near the fireplace, whispered to each other.  “Babe, maybe now would be a good time to finally get this off your chest.  You barely said a word during dinner and believe me when I tell you, everyone noticed and everyone is starting to get really anxious.  You are so tense right now, I could probably snap your shoulder blades in half if I hug you too tight.”  He pressed a kiss to her temple.  “Sweetheart, I’m right here.  You’re not doing this alone.  You will never do this alone, I promise you that.  I wouldn’t let it happen and neither will they,” he said as he nodded his head at her family.

            “Did you call your mam and tell her to be close to her computer?”  They’d decided just before dinner to place a Skype call to Lisa Evans up in Boston so she could be there, via webcam, to hear Cam’s announcement.

            “Done,” Chris answered.  “I also asked Jeremy to bring his laptop down and set it up for us.” He waved a hand toward her brother’s computer, which sat on an end table opposite the loveseat they occupied.  This way Lisa could at least see Chris and Cameron.

            Cameron took a deep breath and held it for a moment.  She let it out slowly then said, “Go place the call to your mam, _a ghra_.  It’s time.”

            Chris pressed another kiss to her temple then got up to call his mother on the laptop.  The room fell quiet when everyone noticed what Chris was doing.  Cameron scooted forward a bit on the loveseat so she could better face her family.  “Chris is calling his mam via Skype,” she told everyone.  “What I have to say…well, Lisa needs to hear it too.”  They heard the call going through then Lisa suddenly popped up on the laptop’s screen, but hers was not the only face visible.  Scott, Carly, and Shana were just behind their mother.

            “Hey, guys,” Chris said, surprise in his voice.  “I wasn’t expecting to see you all.”

            “Ma said you guys had some sort of announcement to make so we decided we should all be here for it,” Scott said.  He smiled mischievously.  “Is Gio getting a new playmate, perhaps?”

            Great.  The Boston side of the family thought she and Chris were pregnant.  Wonderful.  Cam dropped her head into her hands.  “Scott, not cool,” Chris said, not bothering to hide his annoyance with his younger brother.

            “Oops, apologies, bro.  It’s just…well, you’re looking a little tense so I thought I’d…lighten the mood...” Scott trailed off, confusion on his face.

            “Okay, okay.  It’s time.  I’ll say what I need to say.  Just please understand that I don’t have a whole lot to give you in terms of information so please don’t ask me a lot of questions, okay?”  Cameron held her hand out to Chris.  “Please come sit with me, _a ghra_ , I need you by my side.”  Chris immediately went back to Cameron.  They intertwined their hands and Chris coached her through a few more deep breaths.  Finally, she looked up. 

            “I, um…I…” she faltered and gripped Chris’ hands tighter.  “I asked you all to be here this evening because I have something I need to tell you.  This isn’t easy for me to say, and it’s not going to be easy for you to hear.”  She paused and Chris leaned over and kissed her cheek.  She took another breath then continued.  “I went to see David, Arthur and Robert Shapiro today because this morning, when I did my monthly self-exam,” at this, she looked directly at Isabella, “I found two lumps in my right breast.”

            There was a collective gasp and Isabella grabbed onto Liam as she said, “Oh, my girl.” Chris and Cam could hear the Boston side of the family all start talking at once until Lisa shushed them sternly.  Cameron gripped Chris’ hands harder still and continued, “David and Robert did a physical exam, and Arthur gave me a mammogram and an ultrasound, and they all studied the films and came to the same conclusion.”  Her voice faltered and she paused while Chris whispered words of encouragement in her ear.  She nodded and softly thanked him.  She straightened her back, cleared her throat and said, “I have Stage 2B breast cancer.”  The room was so quiet, Gio’s soft coos could be heard as he rested in his mother’s arms.  “Robert performed a biopsy today and put a rush on the results.  Chris and I are going back to see them tomorrow afternoon so we’ll have more definitive answers plus Robert will be able to tell me more about the treatment plan he’s preparing for me.  He wants to start me on chemo as early as next week.  They want to treat this aggressively because they’re afraid that I’m very close to entering Stage 3 and they would like to…um…to avoid that happening…” she trailed off as the tears she could no longer hold back began to fall steadily.  She turned into Chris’ embrace and buried her face into his chest.  _Here it comes,_ Chris thought, _the storm is brewing._

            Chris looked at the stricken faces of the people he’d come to think of as his second family.  “I was with her through it all.  I plan to be with her through everything, every test, every procedure.  And if I can’t be with her because of work, I was hoping I could count on all of you to step in for me whenever and wherever possible.”  He turned to look at the shocked faces staring back at him from the laptop screen.  “I’m going to ask the same of you guys, especially while we’re up in Boston for the next couple of months.”  He smoothed his hand down Cam’s hair and rubbed her back as she continued to sob into his sweater.  “The Shapiros are pretty certain that the lumps in Cam’s breast are cancerous.  The biopsy results will be definitive.  I’m hoping like hell that they got it wrong but…all three seemed pretty sure about what they saw.  They don’t strike me as the kind of doctors who would speculate about something like this.”

            “They are not,” Liam said quietly.  “The Shapiro brothers are among the finest, most honorable men I know.  They’re all excellent doctors.  I would take them at their word, no question.”  Liam looked Chris in the eye.  “Thank you, Christopher, for being there for my girl, for giving her comfort and support.  I know this is tearing her up but it’s got to be taking a toll on you, as well.” 

Chris blinked back tears as he said, “I really appreciate that, Liam, but no thanks are necessary.  You’ve known for a long time that there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for Cameron.  I love her.  And I’m going to take care of her, but we’re going to need help.  We need you guys.”

            “And we’ll do whatever you need us to do, Chris,” Josh said, his voice unsteady, his eyes shiny with unshed tears.  “I know you start filming up in Boston in the next couple of weeks.  I’ll stay with Cameron wherever she winds up – whether she stays here or if she is able to go up to Boston – so I can keep her company while you’re working and take her to her appointments and stuff.  I don’t have anything on my schedule for the next few months.”

            “I’ll stay with Cameron during Spring Break,” Elizabeth put in.

            “We both will,” Jeremy added.

            Cameron lifted her head from Chris’ chest and turned to look at her family.  “I know I can count on you guys,” she said, her voice hitching from her sobs.  “You’re the best.  You always were and you always will be.  I don’t know exactly what to expect yet.  Chris and I are going to make a list of the things we want to ask Robert tomorrow.  He did say that starting chemotherapy as soon as possible would stop the growth of the tumors and kill off the cancer cells.  He said chemo can shrink the tumors so there’s a good chance I won’t lose my breast.”

            “Well, that’s encouraging news, at least,” Lisa said.

            “Just let us know when you need us,” Scott said, “we’ll be there, whenever, wherever.”

            Cam gave Chris’ family a watery smile.  “Thanks, guys.  That is so greatly appreciated.”

            “Cameron?” came a soft, plaintive voice from her left.  She turned in Chris’ arms to find Lucas standing there, his face blotchy and tear-stained, his slim body trembling.

            “What is it, my love?” she said as she pulled away from Chris and stood up to face her little brother.  The boy was just about her height now, five foot seven, give or take an eighth of an inch.  He was only sixteen so there was still time for him get a little taller but what he didn’t have in height, he certainly had in looks as well as personality.  While all the Kennedy children shared a resemblance, Lucas was the one who looked most like Cameron.  When he was younger, he liked to call himself her “little twin.”

            “Cam,” he said, his voice shaky, “please, tell me you’re not going to die like Nan’s sister.  Tell me that you got to the doctor in time.  I can’t lose you, Cam.  None of us can.  You have to tell me, Cam, you have to promise you won’t die!”  Lucas threw himself into Cameron’s arms and sobbed uncontrollably.  Cam sobbed right along with him.  She knew all of her siblings would be affected by her announcement – she saw the tears in each of their eyes and the stricken looks on their faces – but there had never been any question that Lucas would be the one to take it the hardest.  He worshipped Cameron; he always had.

            “It’s too soon to say anything about anything, Lucas, love, but what the doctors said to me today was encouraging.  I’ll tell you this, my love, I don’t plan on going anywhere, not for a very long time.  I’m going to fight this but I need all of you to be strong, not just for me but for each other and for Christopher.  He’s going to need your support, too.  We’ll get through this, Lucas, we will, love.”  She pulled away from him enough to frame his face with her hands.  “Okay, Lucas?”  She wiped his tears away with her thumbs.  He swallowed hard and nodded.  He leaned towards her and kissed her cheek then stepped away from her and went over to give Chris a hug, which Chris gladly returned.

            Cameron wiped her face with the napkin Elizabeth brought her then went into her younger sister’s embrace.  The two young women held each other for a long time.  They both knew that Elizabeth and little Katherine were both in danger of developing breast cancer as well.  This was a frightening prospect all three sisters grew up with.  “Keep doing your exams, Lizzie,” Cam whispered, “never slack off.  It could save your life.  It most likely just saved mine.”

            “I’ll continue, Cam, I promise.  But I need you to do everything the doctors tell you to do, please.  Don’t deviate from anything.  I don’t want to lose you.  I love you so much.”

            “I love you, too, little sister.  I’ll walk the straight and narrow, I promise.”

            The moment the sisters broke their embrace, someone else was there to hug Cameron and offer her words of support and encouragement.  When Gia came to Cam, the young mother almost couldn’t hold it together.  She clung to her very best friend in the world and promised that she and Gio would stay with her as often as possible and cheer her up like no one but her tiny godson could.  Cam smiled.  “Chris might finally have someone to be jealous of,” she said.

            “Yeah,” Gia said with a watery smile, “nothing says love like having your best guy get so excited to see you, he poops his pants.”

            “Ahhh, so that’s why I always wind up having to change Gio’s diapers just minutes after I walk into the room.  Gee, good thing Evans is potty-trained, huh?”

            The last person to come to Cameron was Isabella.  Cam felt so bad for her poor mother.  The cancer gene was on her side of the family so Cam knew Isabella was feeling guilty over her condition, however irrational the idea.  Cameron certainly didn’t blame her mother or her grandmother.  It simply was what it was.

            Cam, exhausted from the emotional rollercoaster she was riding, gestured towards the kitchen and she and her mother left Chris to deal with the Kennedys and the Evanses, who were still on Skype.  Once in the kitchen, Cam walked over to the breakfast nook and practically fell onto the padded bench, suddenly too tired, too emotionally spent, to hold up her own weight.  Isabella came over and sat down next to her, taking one of Cam’s limp hands between both of hers.  “Oh, my girl, I don’t have the words to express how sorry I am this is happening to you.  If there was anything I could do to keep this from you, to make all this go away, I’d do it, in a heartbeat I would.”

            “Oh, Mam, don’t you think I know that?  This isn’t anyone’s fault.  It’s just a thing that happened.  God knows I should be _thanking_ you.”

            “For what, love?”

            “For insisting I learn how to do a self-exam and for beating it into my head that it had to be done every month without fail.  Your insistence on the matter may have very well saved my life, Mam.  Please don’t overlook that.  Please.”

            “She’s right, Isabella,” Gia said as she entered the kitchen with little Gio, whom she handed to his future godmother.  “You insisted on teaching me and got me started on doing monthly exams.  Now even my mother, aunts, and sisters do it.  We all owe you a great deal of thanks, Isabella.”

            “Gia, sweetheart, you know I’ll do anything for the people I love,” Isabella said as she stood to hug her daughter’s oldest friend.  Cam looked on for a moment, a weary smile on her face, then she looked down at the adorable child in her arms.  As everyone else trickled back into the kitchen, with the exception of Chris, who was finishing up the Skype call with his family, and stood huddled around the kitchen island, talking to each other in hushed tones, Cameron decided she needed a little one on one with the only being in the room that had no idea what was going on.  “Hello there, my wee _a ghra_ ,” she said softly as she nuzzled the baby’s downy temple.  “Ah, lovely, that new baby smell.  Why can’t someone bottle that scent?  A whiff of that would make anyone smile.”  She giggled as Gio took a swipe at her nose and laughed. 

            Whenever she looked at Gio, she tried to imagine what her kids with Chris would look like.  Would they have her jet black hair and his gorgeous blue eyes?  Or would they sport his thick brown hair paired with her trademark gray eyes?  Would they inherit her frighteningly high IQ or be musical prodigies, as she was?  Or would they have their father’s easy-going, self-deprecating charm, his razor sharp sense of humor, and his fascination with science and the world around him?  She closed her eyes as she cuddled Gio.  After all was said and done with chemotherapy, would she even be able to have children?  She’d heard that chemo triggered symptoms of early menopause in some women and left other women unable to conceive.  _God, I will take whatever other side effects chemo may cause, but, please, don’t let it take away my ability to have Chris’ babies.  I don’t think I could handle that._   She sighed heavily as she pressed a kiss on Gio’s chubby cheek.  That was one more thing to put on the list of questions to ask Dr. Robert tomorrow.  “Maybe I should freeze some of my eggs before I start chemo, hmm, Gio?  What d’ya think?  Better safe than sorry, lad, wouldn’t you agree?”  She opened her eyes to look at the baby then noticed everyone staring at her.  “Ah, God, did I say that aloud?  Jay-sus.”

            “Yeah, babe, you did,” Chris answered.  He had an odd, almost pained, look on his face. Apparently, he had just walked back into the kitchen in time to hear Cameron talking to the baby. “Why would you even think that?”

            Isabella answered for Cam.  “One of the more insidious side effects of chemo is to leave a woman barren, Christopher.  Most women can’t conceive during chemo but once they stop taking the drugs and it clears their system, their cycles resume and they can go on to have children.  With some women, the ability to conceive never comes back.”  She turned to Cameron.  “I, for one, think harvesting and freezing some of your eggs prior to chemo is not a bad idea, my girl.  As you yourself just told little Gio, better safe than sorry.”

            Cam nodded her agreement with her mother then turned to look at Chris.  She wore a profoundly sad look that he could only think of as apologetic.  “Something else to talk to Dr. Rob about, _a ghra_ ,” she told him.  He watched as she snuggled her face against the downy head of their godson, her eyes squeezed shut against the tears he knew she was trying so hard not to shed.

            He nodded then walked over to where she was seated.  He knelt down in front of her.  “I’ll put it on the list, babe.  And I agree with your mom.  I think we should harvest and freeze a bunch of your eggs, just to be safe.  God willing, even if anything happens after your treatments, we’d still be able to have a child that’s _ours_.  You’d want that, wouldn’t you?”

            Cam opened her eyes and looked into Chris’ beautiful blue ones.  “More than anything, _mo ghra_.”  She pressed a kiss against little Gio’s head then handed the baby to his godfather.  Chris gave her a beautiful little smile as he cradled the infant against his broad chest.  “That is nothing short of a perfect picture.  You are meant to have children, Chris.  And I was meant to give them to you.  We’ll ask the Shapiros if they can recommend any places where we can go to have my eggs frozen.  I’m sure we aren’t the first couple to find themselves in this situation.”  She leaned forward and gave Chris a soft kiss then gave Gio another peck.  “I love you, Chris, and you, too, my wee Gio.”

            “I love you, too.  So does Gio.”  He kissed Cameron again.  “We’ve got this, babe.  We have totally got this.”

            Cam smiled tenderly at the man who never failed to believe in her.  “I can do anything as long as you’re by my side, Chris.”

            He made a show of playfully covering Gio’s little ears.  “Then let’s go kick cancer’s ass.”

 

            Late that night, Chris watched an exhausted Cameron as she slept in his arms, her face ravaged by the torrent of tears she’d shed from the minute they got home to barely an hour ago, when she finally succumbed to sleep.  He’d hustled her up to their bedroom, locked the door behind them, and simply watched as the storm finally broke.  She raged, yelled, stalked her way around the room, cursed God and all the angels and saints until she finally collapsed in a heap on the floor, too tired, too spent to say another word although the tears didn’t seem to want to stop flowing.  He picked her up, took her to the bathroom and set her down on the very same bench she’d crumpled onto just that morning.  He drew her a nice warm bath in their spa tub and as he carefully undressed her, she told him that this had been the longest day of her life.  Well, they’d finally come to the end of it, he assured her.  He was going to help her bathe, get her into her pajamas, get some tea into her, and they were going to sleep until noon.  When he finally had her in bed and under the covers, he called down to Nigel and asked him to please brew her favorite tea.  Unbeknownst to Cameron, Chris had called Nigel earlier in the day and had given the news to the heartbroken butler.  He needed to prepare the older man for the yelling and screaming he was sure to hear once Chris and Cam got home.  Nigel brought the tea up and broke protocol by sitting on the bed next to Cam and holding her hand while he assured her that he would follow to the letter any dietary instructions given by Dr. Shapiro so that Miss could stay as strong and healthy as possible during her cancer treatments.  He kissed Cam’s hand, shook Chris’, and bid them both goodnight before closing the door behind him.  Chris didn’t miss the lone tear that coursed its way down the butler’s cheek.

            Chris made sure Cam drank all of her tea – it was chamomile to help her sleep – then he climbed into bed next to her and softly reiterated every promise he’d made to her that day.  The last thing she heard him say before she finally drifted off was, “I love you with all my heart and soul.  You are the future Mrs. Christopher Robert Evans so we need to fight this cancer thing with everything we’ve got.  I can’t live without you, Cameron…and I won’t.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading and for the kudos. So greatly appreciated.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to everyone who's read this series and left kudos. Greatly appreciated!


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